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Dustpelt's Fury
Beginning Excerpt Dustpelt wasn't always a hard-tempered grumpy badger. Of course, cats wouldn't believe that he was actually... nice, once upon a time. He even was kind of friendly. Back when he was a kit, all the way when he was newly apprenticed. He may seem like an underappreciated senior warrior these days, full of grumblings and only kind to Ferncloud. (Ferncloud does understand him better than most, but that's a different story. Okay, maybe not). And maybe this would explain why Sandpaw (at the time) was a bit... mean to Firepaw. But Dustpelt does deserve some recognition this time - and now, this is his story. Chapter 1 "Dustkit," someone spoke gently, as if tasting the name. "I like that." It was evening in the nursery, and Dustkit wasn't quite ready to open his eyes, not just yet. His sister, Sandkit, kept poking him and prodding him. "Come on," she would whisper, as if he was asleep - or maybe he actually was at the time. "Open your eyes!" The first scent he ever knew was his mother's. Of course it was - who else? But even to him, it felt a little off. The taste of the scent, however close to his, made unease ripple through his short tail. Which made him not want to open his eyes so soon. But he inwardly sighed, because he knew that he would have to do it sometime, sooner or later. He made an effort to stretch out his eyes, and there it was. The brambles perched overhead, patches of deep blue sky interfering, even colliding. Sandkit would be proud, he thought sarcastically. That all that bothering paid off, at least. But he took a deep breath and lodged the thought out of his mind; this was a time to explore the world, take in the sky, undergrowth, everything that made him a- "You've opened your eyes! Finally!" mewed Sandkit, jumping around. Dustkit was surprised to see her so excited. Okay, maybe he wasn't surprised. Anyone would be overjoyed at a kit making it through his first few days. He frowned. Suddenly he wasn't as eager as to take note of the world. "Hello, little one," a new voice meowed. He blinked his eyes, and his mother was peering over him. He took a huge breath; his mother was beautiful. Long fluffy fur, spilling out under the nest, and piercing blue eyes. "Are you ready to go out and see Camp?" The new word was unfamiliar to him. Camp? He poked out his head, making the tightly woven brambles tremble at his touch. "Camp" must mean the large stretch of clearing outside. Duh, he thought to himself. What else would Camp be? "Yes," he mewed. Sandkit bumbled into him, and he skidded across the clearing. His mother let out an amused purr, following them. Her name was Sunnyfur. It suited her, he noticed. Splashes of bright ginger and dark brown coated her flank, along with patches of white and black. More of ginger than of anything else, though. Must explain the first part of her name. Focus, he told himself. He realized that he was still standing a few feet from the nursery. He hoped they didn't notice his disappearence. He padded quickly around the camp, looking for them; it was busy with life, but he couldn't see Sandkit or Sunnyfur. He wailed with frustration. "Where are you?!" Sunnyfur must have heard him along with Sandkit because they came rushing out of the nursery. Sandkit just rolled her eyes at his helplessness, while Sunnyfur was brushing her nose against his flank, trying to comfort him. "It's fine, it's fine," she murmured. "You were lost just for a moment. It's fine now, though, hun. Don't worry." Dustkit mewed, "I'm okay now. Can we go see the elders?" He actually was interested in going to see them. He wanted to see what the big fuss was and why Sandkit was always going to them. "Okay, then, sweetie, if you feel like going," meowed Sunnyfur agreeably. She guided Dustkit toward the elder's den. Sandkit didn't need her help because she already knew the way. She sped over to the den and didn't stop to wait for Sunnyfur and Dustkit. Now it was Dustkit who rolled his eyes. "Stop showing off," he whispered. Sandkit ignored him and he felt a flash of impatience. Chapter 2 "Hello, kits," meowed a black and white tomcat, with green eyes. He padded over to where Sunnyfur and her two kits were standing, reliving their bursts of excitement. "I'm Patchpelt," he nodded. Dustkit noticed that it suited him, with patches of black clouding the white. Dustkit nodded respectfully, his eyes gleaming. Sandkit wasn't the one to hold back, so she leaped at Patchpelt's shoulders. "I'm Sandkit! But you already know that," she mewed, her eyes flicking around for any elders she hadn't met yet. Dustkit sighed. When was Sandkit going to learn that not everyone enjoyed being tackled by a bothersome kit? "I'm Dustkit, and that's my sister," he pointed his muzzle at the ginger tabby. "This is my mother, Sunnyfur!" He nuzzled the tortoiseshell, and Sunnyfur let out an amused purr. "Hello, young ones," meowed a red mottled tabby. Dustkit gasped as she slid from the shadows; her tail was HUGE! Suddenly he felt like Sandkit, playful and wanting to leap at the bushy tail. What fun he could have, he thought excitedly. "I'm Poppydawn." She noticed Dustkit staring at her tail and she sighed, giving in to him. "It's fine, you can attack it." Her eyes softened. "Kits love my tail." "Get out of our Camp!" yowled Sandkit, flinging herself from Patchpelt to the Bushy Tail. "Mangy furball!" She swiped at it with outstretched claws. "Ouch," Dustkit muttered. He remembered to keep his claws sheathed, and he joined Sandkit in the imaginary fight. "ShadowClan warrior!" screeched Sandkit. "ShadowClan's invading the Camp! When will they ever learn?" They tussled with the Bushy Tail, eyes gleaming. "Nice kits you've got there," spoke a voice. It was One-Eye, getting up from her nest. She uncurled herself and went to stand by Sunnyfur. "I know," Sunnyfur mewed proudly, glancing at the pair of littermates. "You'll have to leave soon, though, right?" One-Eye murmured. "I can feel it in my bones that something bad is about to happen to that kit over there." She nodded toward the dark brown tabby. Dustkit? Sunnyfur wondered. "Yes," she muttered, with a broken heart. "I can't stay here. It's not my place." She didn't know why, but she felt an unease ripple through Camp. No one but One-Eye knew that she had been born a RiverClan cat. Not even RiverClan themselves. She didn't want to disrupt Clan life, so she would leave as soon as she could. One-Eye stood up, and padded slowly to her nest. "Just remember what you're doing before you make any life-altering choices," she meowed over her back. Chapter 3 "Okay, Dustkit, Sandkit," murmured Sunnyfur, her gaze troubled. "It's time to go back to the Nursery." "What?!" they meowed, looking crestfallen. "Why? We're having fun!" Sandkit told her. Dustkit saw something wrong with Sunnyfur. It wasn't just her gaze. It was the feel, the vibe when he brushed against her flank. Sandkit didn't seem to realize anything was wrong, though. Nothing could ruin her fun at the moment, it seemed. Except straying back to the Nursery. But Dustkit realized that he was bushed, and was ready for some food and sleep. He nudged Sandkit. "Come on," he whispered. "Let's go." Sandkit saw that Dustkit was trying to tell her something, so she nodded briskly. "Goodbye, Patchpelt, Poppydawn!" She mewed over her shoulder as they were exiting the den. "Bye, One-Eye!" They nodded, eyes alight with amusement and laughter - and a little something else in One-Eye's gaze, maybe? Dustkit couldn't quite place it, but it matched Sunnyfur's feeling in her eyes. What was wrong with them? he thought, frustraded. As they padded out of the undergrowth-filled den, Bluestar stood in front of Sunnyfur. The blue-gray she-cat's neck fur bristled unexplicably to the kits, but Sunnyfur winced - meant for just her, they could see, but they saw. "Dustkit, Sandkit, go to the Nursery," Sunnyfur told them. "I have to speak with our leader for a bit." Dustkit saw sense in her words, and besides, he didn't want to stick around. One-Eye must have been trying to tell her something when they were playing with Poppydawn's tail, he remembered. He wasn't really paying attention, though, so he wasn't so sure. Dustkit knew better than to ask Sunnyfur directly. Maybe he'll go sneak on in the Leader's den to see what was going on. Dustkit was dozing, Sandkit was snoring, and there was still no sign of Sunnyfur. He decided he was going to see what was wrong with Sunnyfur; he couldn't stand not knowing what would happen to Sunnyfur. He thought that she might be in the Leader's den, since he didn't see her return yet. He gently untangled himself from Sandkit, and squeezed himself out of the nursery. He kept himself to the shadows, since he wasn't the only one up - there were still the evening patrols going on, and some late night snackers. Successfully managing to avoid the senior warriors that were up (Lionheart, Whitestorm), he crept toward the lichen that introduced the leader's den, and poked his head in. He only just managed to keep in a gasp. "You're RiverClan?" exploded Bluestar, her claws unsheathing. Her eyes were terrifyingly backed up with a cold blue fire. "Yes, Bluestar, I am." Dustkit had to admire Sunnyfur's defiance, unflinching and unblinking when the huge blue she-cat advanced on her, towering. But then Tigerclaw melted from the shadows, his eyes unforgiving and cold as a statue's. "Why did you not tell us this?" he meowed smoothly, gaze tinted with questioning. "It was for the sake of my kits that they did not know," she told him. Bluestar snarled, claws flashing in the light. Dustkit shrinked back. He wanted to leave but he found that he couldn't move his limbs. "It would destroy them." She stated, unblinking at Bluestar and Tigerclaw. "I would not destroy them like that. I love my kits, whatever you might say. And I want them to live a ThunderClan life." Dustkit was trembling. He did not admire Sunnyfur anymore. The truth about him and Sandkit being RiverClan instead of ThunderClan shocked him into silence. "Do you know how much this would affect not just the kits, but the whole Clan?" she hissed, nose to nose with Sunnyfur. "It would shake their confidence, and drag our Clan into unneeded defeat. How dare you bring this into our Clan." "You have until the kits are apprenticed to leave with them. You leave or die," Tigerclaw meowed quietly. There was a sense of triumph in his eyes. "And I, along with Bluestar, will carry out the execution." Dustkit didn't want to hear anymore. He ran back to the nursery, not seeing what Sunnyfur did next, and crawled back into his nest. He couldn't go back to sleep, and Sandkit was there, sleeping as heavily as a hedgehog. What was he going to do? Chapter 4 He was four moons old now, along with Sandkit. He wasn't quite his grumpy senior warrior self yet, but it was getting close to where Sunnyfur was going to disappear. He was more quiet, reserved; he didn't think he could tell this to anyone, not even his sister. It's not like anyone noticed his behavior, though. Sunnyfur seemed too distant, even to her Denmates, and Bluestar and Tigerclaw scared her to death. Sandkit didn't seem bothered with him at the moment, she was always going off to the Medicine Cat, Spottedleaf, and to the Elders. Probably seeking their wisdom, Dustkit thought sourly. He hadn't seen the elders in days, moons, rather. He was frightened of what One-Eye would say - he knew that One-Eye would mention something about his mother which he didn't want to talk about at all. Maybe she wouldn't, maybe she would, but he didn't want to take any chances. He didn't dare speak to Sunnyfur about that dank morning, he was too scared of the outcome; maybe she would burst at him, too. "Hey," Sandkit mewed, nuzzling with him in their self-made nest in the nursery. "What's happened with you lately?" Dustkit stiffened. His tail-tip twitched. He promised himself not to tell her anything, not even a morsel, of what happened. But he sighed. It looked like he was going to have to break this promise to make her keep quiet. "Do you remember," he squeaked. He composed himself, and added: "Do you remember that first day in the Elder's den, when we were playing with the Bushy Tail?" He looked around quickly; Sunnyfur wasn't around. Probably out in the forest again, figuring out how to survive their sixth moon. Whatever the reason, he didn't want her to see him telling. "Yeah," she meowed, puzzled. "Well, did you notice something weird about Sunnyfur's look?" Dustkit stared at her intensely, wanting her to remember. Sandkit blinked, as if trying to recall the memory. "Er, yeah?" "One-Eye knew something. You saw how she stood next to Sunnyfur, right? She was muttering something to her, like she didn't want us to know, or anyone else, like if they did know it would result in some kind of trouble. Dustkit took a huge breath. "The thing that One-Eye didn't want us to know was probably that... our mother was'' RiverClan''." Sandkit gaped at him. "Wh-wh-what? But... we're ThunderClan! Pure ThunderClan! We're not RiverClan at all!" Disbelief made it's way from the shock that was glazed on Sandkit's eyes. She looked like she was about to faint. "Not according to Bluestar or One-Eye," Dustkit meowed sourly. "That night, I went to the Leader's den since Sunnyfur wasn't back yet, and Bluestar and Tigerclaw told her that they would kill her on our sixth moon. It was either that or leave for RiverClan." Sandkit was speechless; frozen back into shock. Duskit rolled his eyes at her; he'd already gotten through that phase before. Or did he? "But.... but.. what will happen to us?" she whispered, eyes frightened and terrifyed. "I have no idea," Dustkit muttered. "Probably kill us along with her. Wouldn't want to have the Clan shaken," he restated, staring at the ground. Suddenly Sandkit went back to her state before he told her. "Hello, Sunnyfur!" she greeted their mother brightly. Dustkit jumped. He didn't see his mother coming back through the Camp entrance. Dustkit winced inwardly - what was she doing? "Where were you?" she asked. Dustkit blinked; they already knew she was out in the forest. "I was collecting moss," Sunnyfur answered tonelessly, nodding toward the pile of feathers and moss near the kits' nest. Suddenly Sunnyfur tensed. A scent reached their nostrils; Bluestar and Tigerclaw. "Hello, kits," growled Tigerclaw. He nodded for Sunnyfur to come to the dirtplace. Bluestar followed, angrily twitching her tail. Sunnyfur didn't say anything; she was expressionless. She nodded coldly, and trailed in their wake. "We can't just let them go like that," Sandkit mewed, glancing at the spot where they stood before. "We can't stop them," growled Dustkit. "But we can watch, just incase." Chapter 5 Dustkit and Sandkit followed Bluestar, Tigerclaw, and Sunnyfur's scent out into the forest. Sandkit looked at Dustkit with fearful eyes; she smelled the fear scent of Sunnyfur the same time he did. He nodded, confirming their fears. When the scent was freshest, Sandkit stopped in their tracks. "What's wrong?" Dustkit asked. "I don't know how you can ask that, Dustkit," Sandkit squeaked crossly. "I mean, our mother's life is on the line right now and you ask WHAT'S WRONG?" "You know I didn't mean it that way," Dustkit glared at her. "Okay, fine. I was just thinking... why does Bluestar and Tigerclaw want to kill Sunnyfur if it's only our fourth moon? There's still two moons left." "You're right," Dustkit spoke. "But that shouldn't matter to them. They probably want to get it out of the way as soon as possible. But what business of it is ours?" His gaze hardened. "It's not like they expect us to know about it at all." The ginger tabby kit nodded in assent, and followed Dustkit to where the scents were the most fresh. Suddenly they found Sunnyfur's fear scent choking them. A tint of death spoiled it. "No!" they gasped. They ran to where Bluestar and Tigerclaw was, and they saw Sunnyfur lying on the ground, dead. It couldn't be. It just couldn't. He closed his eyes, wanting to die with Sunnyfur right there. He didn't care if she was RiverClan or not anymore. That was their MOTHER for StarClan's sake, lying on the earth packed floor. She would never move again. And there was no ceremony being held for her, Bluestar would make sure of that. He nudged Sandkit. "Let's have a vigil of our own," he pronounced, looking at Sandkit. She nodded, numb with mourning and sorrowfulness. They padded side by side and brushed each other's flank for comfort. They curled with their mother for one last night, and fell asleep. Dustkit had a dream. It was hazy, not too clear, but he could get the message across. It was his mother. Sunnyfur. Just as beautiful as she was when he first opened his eyes. She nodded to Sandkit, and pointed her muzzle to the Camp. "I did what was best for you," she meowed softly. And then, she was gone with a whisp of mist. He blinked his eyes open - the sky was milky with dawn light streaming through the bare branches of trees. He nuzzled Sandkit gently awake. "We have to go back," he meowed. "Our place is in our Clan." "How? Our leader won't accept us. Not even Tigerclaw," Sandkit meowed. "Bluestar can't say anything. She needs to portray herself as a confident, Clan leader who wouldn't harm a hair on her Clanmate's pelts," Dustkit muttered. "And Tigerclaw won't betray his Clan leader." "Fine," she spat. "But I'm not trusting any kind of leader again, not after what that piece of crowfood did to our mother." "I agree with you," Dustkit told her. "But we can't speak of this to anyone. Not even One-Eye." She nodded, and they both went back to Camp, their tails drooping, trailing after their wake. Dustkit felt a pang of sadness, regret, and anger. A hard-packed feeling, into a mixture. But he had to put that behind him, and serve his Clanmates as best as he could. Chapter 6 "I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your code, and I commend to you as warriors in their turn." Bluestar gazed down at Dustpaw and Sandpaw, and they could see hatred gleaming in her eyes. Dustpaw fought back a growl of resentment. "Sandpaw, Dustpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Sandpaw held a steady gaze against Bluestar, and replied slowly: "I do." Dustpaw echoed her words, his tone low as he tried to keep it strong. "I do." "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names: Sandpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sandstorm. StarClan honors your courage and your spirit," - huh, he thought sharply. Spirit, what against? Their mother's death? His gaze narrowed dangerously. - "and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." No wonder they put Sandpaw - Sand''storm'' - first. Bluestar knew he knew something. It was a surprise he got his warrior name at all, with the waiting and such - a punishment, probably. Sandstorm licked Bluestar's shoulder; Dustpaw held back a snarl of disgust - and she turned to walk to stand beside Whitestorm. Dustpaw was left in the circle now. Bluestar turned her petrifying gaze on the dark brown tabby. "Dustpaw," her voice bitter, "from this moment on you will be known as Dustpelt. StarClan honors your bravery and your honesty -" Hah! he thought, inwardly snickering. Honesty. What from? "- and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. She touched his head with her muzzle and he found that he was pulling back, but since he could not defy the traditional customs, he gave her a respectful lick on the shoulder in return. He shuddered. The Clan chanted their names, their eyes alight with pride. But Dustpelt didn't want their pride. He thought about how it would be played in RiverClan - he wouldn't be distastefully licking the leader's shoulder like he did just now. He would find some pride smoldering in his eyes in his mother's Clan, at least. Although he never spoke of the memory of her to Sandstorm, he had a feeling she still remembered it, and relived it as hungrily as he did. Robinwing, something of an aunt and a mother to him and Sandstorm, never spoke of Sunnyfur till the day she died. Dustpelt admired her for her resistance. He felt Fireheart's gaze burning on his back, and he snarled, warning him to back away. Mangy kittypet. Why couldn't he go die in a hole or something? Stealing Sandstorm's affection from him. Sandstorm was the only one who knew about Sunnyfur apart from Bluestar and Tigerclaw. Well, the only one that remembered, at least. Now he felt like he lost a piece of himself, and he hated Fireheart for taking it away from it. He would never forgive the ginger warrior for doing that, however unaware he was. He spat, and stalked off to the Warrior den, ignoring offers of fresh-kill. *~**~ WILL CONTINUE THIS LATER ~*~*~*~*~